Knotless Snare Linkage for Soft Tissue Bone Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for securing soft tissue to bone, such as arthroscopic knot tying, face challenges with knot slippage and size, particularly in delicate joints, and existing knotless designs often suffer from inadequate fixation.
Innovation Solution
A surgical repair construct featuring a snare linkage with a collapsible loop and flexible suture pin that allows for knotless tissue attachment by collapsing and expanding to secure tissue without tying knots, using a sliding knot mechanism and coaxial sliding neck for incremental tensioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional sliding knots are used to secure soft tissue to bone, then the tissue can be attached to the anchor, but the knots may slip or loosen under tension, compromising the security of the attachment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the traditional knot structure entirely from the suture system. Instead of using knots to secure the suture to the anchor and to create loops for tissue attachment, the invention uses a button-like anchor with a hollow body that receives and retains the suture ends through friction and geometric retention, eliminating the need for knots and their associated slippage and complexity issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The button-like anchor serves as an intermediary component between the suture and the bone. The hollow body of the button receives the suture ends, and the frustoconical surface provides a mechanism for incremental advancement and secure retention without requiring knots. This intermediary structure mediates the connection between suture and tissue in a controlled, slippage-free manner.
2Reliability
If additional half hitches or knots are tied to prevent slippage, then knot security improves, but the overall knot size increases and may obstruct or damage tissue in tight joints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates knots entirely from the system, replacing them with a button anchor mechanism that secures sutures through its hollow body and frustoconical surface. This extraction of the knot element removes the source of tissue abrasion and obstruction while maintaining security through the anchor's geometric retention and friction-based holding mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical knot-tying system with a mechanical anchor retention system. Instead of using friction and interlocking loops created by knots, the system uses the frustoconical surface of the button anchor to provide incremental advancement and secure retention of the suture, substituting a more controlled mechanical retention mechanism that does not require multiple knots and their associated tissue damage risks.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional screw-type anchors are used, then bone fixation can be achieved, but the anchors require pre-attachment before sutures can be operated, creating challenges in the connection between suture and tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the anchor and suture attachment functions into a single integrated button-like component. The hollow body of the button simultaneously provides bone fixation and serves as the retention mechanism for the suture ends. This merging eliminates the separate steps of anchor attachment followed by suture connection, allowing both functions to be achieved in an integrated manner that simplifies the overall procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The button-like anchor serves multiple functions: it provides bone fixation through its anchoring mechanism, retains the suture ends through its hollow body, and enables incremental advancement through its frustoconical surface. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate anchor and suture attachment procedures, allowing the single component to handle both bone fixation and suture connection challenges simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, devices, and methods are provided for securing soft tissue to bone, for securing one or more objects using a surgical filament, and for drawing two or more tissues together so they can be secured in a desired location. One exemplary embodiment of a surgical repair method includes selecting a surgical repair construct that includes a snare linkage having a collapsible snare and a collapsible loop coupled to the snare linkage. Steps can be performed as part of the method such that the snare of the snare linkage is collapsed around a portion of the loop passing through the snare. The snare linkage and loop construct can be coupled to tissue and bone such that the snare and loop are both advanced distally towards bone to bring the tissue into proximity with the bone. Other exemplary systems, devices, and methods for use with soft tissue repair are also provided.